SmartPulse -- our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership -- tracks feedback from more than 240,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our newsletter.

Have you ever had a salesperson ask you to tell them a story so they can get to know you?

Yes, it happens frequently: 20.6%

No, I’ve never been asked to tell a story: 79.4%

Interviews are stressful. These are high-risk situations for a candidate. It’s not surprising that 85% of you see a candidate make a catastrophic mistake that tanks the interview. While common interview mistakes like candidates checking their phone or watch are bad, bigger mistakes like poor answers to common questions are definite interview enders. Your job as an interviewer is to make the conversation as relaxed as possible. You’re looking to get to know this person. If you can reduce the stress level surrounding the discussion, you’ll get better responses from candidates and ultimately make better hiring decisions.